This June, Brindisa Shoreditch will bring the Mediterranean to East London every Saturday with a series of Terraza Summer Sessions. Inspired by founder and owner Monika Linton’s early years spent exploring the coast of Eastern Spain, the sun-trap terraza will play host to guests sipping on gin and tonics and feasting on Paella Marinera to a backdrop of live Spanish music.
To kick things off, diners will be greeted with a gin spritz and some of Brindisa’s signature picoteos: crisp Gordal Olives; salted Marcona Almonds; and classic Croquetas de Jamon with Iberico ham. For the main event, Paella Marinera, a seaside staple, will be made Alicante-style with single-estate Bomba rice, plump prawns, cuttlefish and mussels. Cooked live on the terraza, visitors can learn the secrets of authentic Spanish paella from Brindisa’s chefs before tucking into Paella Marinara with Pan de Coca – Catalan flatbreads with tomato, garlic and olive oil – and fresh green salad.
Throughout the afternoon, experts from Fentiman’s will be on-hand to host informal gin and tonic tastings, and mix a selection of cocktails and serves. The team will be pairing their tonics with a different gin every weekend, including herbal Gin Mare with Fentiman’s tonic, mango and peppercorn; Elephant Gin, infused with African botanicals, and XXXX; London-based Sipsmiths with Rose Lemonade, lemon and mint; and Hepple’s, with Light tonic and a Douglas fir sherbet rim.
The terraza at Brindisa Shoreditch is hung with strings of Fiera festoon lights and can be fully covered and heated – so balmy Spanish evenings won’t be disturbed by London’s unpredictable weather. For those seeking a fiesta during the week, Brindisa’s signature rice menu will be available every weekday in the restaurant.
Founder Monika Linton says, “I first visited Alicante as a child in the 1960s, when its coastal bays were dotted with fishermen’s boats and a skyline of low-rise seaside cottages backed on to the hills. It has a strong culinary heritage, with an emphasis on the art of rice cooking and pairing a classic Paella Marinera with the ultimate summer tipple; gin and tonic is just the recipe to transport us straight to the Spanish sunshine.”